Persistence. Focus. Keys to Success.

Whether you are pursuing a business dream or a personal goal, the key is to keep at it. For many years I had this quote taped to my monitor so I could see it each and every day, “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” Calvin Coolidge

As I was thinking about how to convey the importance of this trait, I opened my morning message from John Maxwell, and it, too, was about focus. He shares that he believes it’s not the brilliant ones who become successful, but those who can stay focused on a thought long enough to “marinate” it. It’s easy to allow scattered thinking to veer us off track, and so hard to tune out the myriad of distractions around us and hone in on where our focus needs to be.

Persistence and focus apply to life in general, not just business, or relationships. They certainly apply to keeping healthy and active as one ages. Perhaps that’s why bucket lists are so popular these days; there’s an inherent satisfaction in first longing to achieve something, planning and working towards that goal, and then literally checking off that it’s been accomplished. It is only in the pursuit of specific goals that one achieves the best in life.

So, do you have goals? Are you persistent in finding ways to attain those goals? When you fall by the wayside on your goals, what do you do? I encourage you to join me in setting aside time today to dream a new dream, and then let’s devote the focus, drive and energy to making those dreams a reality.